Jesus planned a protest. It was a peaceful protest on Palm Sunday. It wasn’t meant to turn into a riot. It could have easily turned ugly. Jesus and his entourage on one side of town, while Rome was having their parade on the other side of town. Jesus even waited until the next day to go in to the Temple and overturn the tables.

The authorities began to look for a way to kill him (According to Mark 11:12-19), but they didn’t do it right then and there because Jesus had created a scene, and there was a crowd of people spellbound by Jesus’ teaching. It says that when evening came, Jesus went out of the city.

On Sunday he had a protest On Monday, he very nearly created a riot. But did he loot? Not unless, you count the authority of the chief priests, scribes and the Romans and their oppressive domination system.

I have never looted.  Would I loot?  I am not sure. 

When I was a kid, I had a paper route.  I delivered the newspaper to my neighbors.  One day I noticed along my route that my customers were targeted for a free sample box of Hostess Twinkies.  Everyone in my neighborhood was given a free box of Twinkies.   So, as I went along my route- I gave the customer their newspaper, but if I could see the Twinkie box , it ended up in my canvass newspaper bag.   I had quite a cache of spongy cream filled snacks to share with my friends.  I am not proud of this moment and here I am 40 years later owning up to my life of adolescent crime. 

-I may have only taken the boxes from the customers who were irregular in making their weekly $1.75 payment for the paper.  That would be okay, right?

-Free samples of Hostess Twinkies?  Who has never had a Twinkie before and needs a free sample?

-Don’t Twinkies have a shelf life of 40 years?  They are unhealthy snacks, and I did them a favor.

-They were free.  They didn’t know they were getting them in the first place.  Would they really miss something they never thought they were going to get?

-Who would begrudge a 12 year old kid their free sample box of Twinkies?

Okay, so this wasn’t exactly looting.  But I was clearly taking something that didn’t belong to me.  My customers may have been angry if they ever learned of my deceit.   Maybe those on Hope and Benefit Streets thought less of me, or held back on their Christmas tip.    

When a peaceful protest turns into a riot, and then turns into looting—something is seriously amiss.   In the few short bits I saw on the news- the windows smash, and then people run in, grab something(s) and run out.   I saw one person come out of a sporting good type store with three sneaker boxes.  It occurred to me that this looter didn’t take time to try on three separate pairs of shoes.  He probably just grabbed three boxes, didn’t even look at the size or model, but took them and got out of the store as quickly as he could.  I would imagine someone looting any store would grab what they could- not what they needed- and exit as quickly as they entered. They emerge from the darkness of smoke and shards of glass triumphant—and then disappear into the chaotic streets. 

Are they terribly worried about the store-owners’ livelihood or the particular store? Are they concerned about the brand and Consumer Report’s rating of the product?  They don’t care about thread count, where it was made, or even what size it is.   They grab and go.  It’s like Supermarket Sweep on steroids.    

I believe its about power.  In a moment of chaos, it’s a feeling of control.   When everything is going against you, it’s an opportunity to strike back. Don’t get me wrong—it’s wrong.  It’s a violation of social norms and community trust, as well as straight up illegal.   I am not advocating for it- and never would.  

When people smash windows and steal goods it’s looting?  What do we call it when Executives pillage the company coffers?  What do we call it when stocks get sold based on inside information, benefits are pulled from employees, and CEO’s gently glide away in their golden parachutes?  What do we call it when politicians are bought and sold with dark money, and corporations are bailed out, while everyone else has to take on water? What do you call it when a paperboy takes the free samples of Twinkies on Benefit and Hope?